East Lothian Council and Lothian and Borders Police have joined forces with a new policing team to use police intelligence to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in the county.

A Police Sergeant will lead the East Lothian Community Action Team (ELCAT) with five experienced Constables. Working with East Lothian Council they will use a mixture of high-visibility measures, such as joint street patrols, and covert capacities to tackle antisocial behaviour, reduce crime and promote safer communities in East Lothian.

East Lothian Council has provided around £600,000 over a three-year period to fund the ELCAT. Cabinet member for Community Services, Councillor Stuart Currie, signed a Service Level Agreement on behalf of the authority outlining the team's roles, responsibilities and areas of co-operation.

Councillor Currie believes that the new team will provide a reassuring presence for communities and make a difference to antisocial behaviour on the ground, saying: “We are committed to investing in our communities to make them better and safer. By working closely with the police we can make sure that our combined resources are put to their best effect.”

The team will use police intelligence to identify the times where ELCAT's presence is most needed and will focus on repeat victims, offenders and locations. It will also conduct proactive bail checks and prison release visits to individuals in the East Lothian area.

Superintendent Murdo MacIver, East Lothian Area Commander for Lothian and Borders Police, said: “I am absolutely delighted that East Lothian Council has committed to this project. I am both excited at the introduction of the ELCAT and very optimistic that, working together with existing Council Services such as Community Wardens, Noise Reductions Officers and Antisocial Behaviour Teams, we can make sustainable improvements to the quality of life issues which detrimentally affect our communities. In my view, there is nothing more antisocial than being a criminal, a drug dealer, a vandal or an agent peddling alcohol to our young people. These are the sort of issues that the ELCAT will be focusing on and I encourage people to get right behind us, by providing as much information as possible for the new team to act upon.”

Stuart Baxter from the Association of East Lothian Community Councils welcomed the formation of the new team, saying: “This mobile team will be able to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in hotspots throughout the towns and villages in East Lothian. I am hopeful that the initiative will lead to a reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour that communities themselves have helped identify. I am certain that Community Councils will welcome this project and help to ensure its success by identifying areas of concern and providing valuable information to the team.”

Notes to Editors
Communities in East Lothian can report incidents of antisocial behaviour to a dedicated telephone helpline and email address. A call to 0845 601 8518 or email asb@eastlothian.gov.uk is an easy, safe and effective way to tackle antisocial behaviour in the area. The helpline is run by East Lothian Council working in partnership with Lothian and Borders Police, East Lothian Housing Association, Homes for Life and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service. A full copy of the East Lothian Community Action Team Service Level Agreement is available from East Lothian Council's website www.eastlothian.gov.uk